Grader.



"1. M. YOUNG'.

GRADER.

- A-PPLxcATfor- FILED. ocr.2|.. |914.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 WITNEssEsQ IN'VENTOR. f 13V/ f 2. v

' ATTORNEY orio.

JOHN M. ,YOUNG, 0F SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

GRADER.

The invention. has for its principal objects to provide an apparatus which is capable of handling a greater quantitv of the vegetable than is possible by the hand grading or sizing now employed, and with less employees, thereby reducing the cost of grading and correspondingly increasing the output of a packing house, one which will automatically cut the asparagus to uniform lengths, and which will grade the cut stalks into sizes accoi-ding to diameter; one which is automatic in all of its operations, and is thoroughly eiicient for the purpose designed.

The invention consists primarily in a plurality of guiding means into which the single stalks of asparagus are deposited, and the guiding means having variable outlet openings which open step by step and permit the asparagus to pass therethrough at different intervals, and preferably into different bins or grade hoppers.

With the above mentioned and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that yvarious changes in` the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claims may' be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. To more fully comprehend the invention,

reference is directed to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein- Flgure 1 is a top plan view of the improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the apparatus with the table and one of the guide cylinders in section.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented (1ct. 19, 1915.

Application led October 21, 1914. Serial N o. 867,786.

i one of the guide cylinders, disclosing the lower end thereof in closed position above the retaining plate and below the cutting l means, and an asparagus stalk positioned 1n the cylinder. Fig. 4 is a view similar-to Fig. 3, but with the discharge end of the cylinder in open position. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line .frof Fig. 3, with the asparagus stalk removed. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line g/--y of Fig. 4, with the asparagus stalk removed.

Referring more particularlv to the several views of the drawings, wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral l indicates a suitable base, formed at one side edge with an upstanding overhanging arm 2 which rotatablv supports the upper end of a vertically disposed shaft 3, mounted at its lower end in a bearing sleeve i extending upwardly from the base 1. The shaft 3 carries a gear 5 which intermeshes with a worm 6 carried by a shaft 7 rotatably supported on the arm 8, and said. shaft carries a belt pulley which is rotated by power received' from any suitable source.

Keyed to rotate with the shaft 3 is a suitable circular table or support 9 formed adjacent its peripheral edge with a plurality of openings, in each of which is positioned a vertically disposed circular guide cylinder 10, each of which projects downwardly below the underside of the table with its upper edge flush with the upper surface thereof. -The lower end of each of said guide cylinders is closed by a plurality of downwardly extending .quadrant shaped sections or fingers 11 which taper toward their lower ends, and. when in a position to close the lowerend ofthe cylinders lie adjacent the side edges of eachother. Said fingers are formed at their extreme lower ends with a 1 Y cut out portion, which, when the sections are in a position with their side edges in Contact form a small circular opening 12 at 100 jecting outwardly from the outer surface ofl 105 the cylinders, andthe upper ends of said arms are each connected by a link 16 with a lug 17 carried by a collar 18 surrounding the cylinders and slidably mounted thereon.

A forked lever 19 is pivotally connected 11a `:to each collar 18 and said levers are pivotally mounted to-the underside of the table,

asiat 20, and carry on their innerends rollers 21 which operate in a cam groove 22 lformed in the peripheral edge of a suitable stationary circular disk 23 supported on the .sleeve 4. The cam groove 22 lies in a horigzontal pla-ne, and in the present apparatus is disposed in four different planes, so that .as the table rotates the outer ends of the levers 19 will assume four different positions, andv Vary the outlet end of the tubular guides to four different sizes, the sizes increasing as' the table rotates in a counterclockwise direction from a common feed station.

A suitable supporting plate 24 supported, by brackets 25 secured to the arm 2 is posii tioned a slight distance beneath the lower ends .of the fingers 11, controlling the guide cylinders, and extends a short distance on veither side.of the arm 2, and on said plate test the lower ends of the stalks of asparagus after being fed into the tubular guides,

in an" suitable manner, as by an operator.

- A suitable knife or cutting member 26,

Figs. 2 and 3, is carried above the disk 9 by a' bracket 27 adjustably mounted on the arm 2, -and said knife severs the projecting ends ofthe stalks carried in the tubular guides,

as the respective guides pass beneath ythe same on the rotation of the disk. A directing'flange 28 is carried on the knife 26 for directing the cut portions of the stalks to one side of the knife to drop into a suitable receptacle 29.

Positioned beneath the table 9, and in the path of rotation of the tubular guides 10, are a plurality of receiving means, each formed of the downwardly 'inclined troughs 30 terminating in a discharge chute 31 and suported by the legs 32. Each receiving means 1s adapted to receive a different grade of -asparagus, and one of said receiving means is co-extensive with each different plane of the cam groove 22, as in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Power being applied to the band pul-y ley 8 to drive the table 9 in the direction of 4the arrows-Fig. 1, and an operator positioned at the feed station A, to position a sin le stalk of asparagus in each guide tube wit the tips thereof pointed downwardly,

the apparatus operates in the followingv ciently small to pass through theopening 12, the stalk will vpass through the same into the vfirst receiving means, Which receives the smallest or first grade. The continued rotation of the table will cause the ends of the levers 19 associated with the guide tubes, in the path of movement from-the feed station A, to successively' pass intoa. section of the t cam groove 22 in a plane below a previous section, which action will cause the ngers 11, forming the variable outlet for the tubes, to become slightly separated and increase the size of the opening 12, as in Figs. 4 and 6, which will permit stalks of the next larger size to pass from the tubes into another bin, and constitute the second size or grade. As the table continues to rotate, the ends of the levers 19 will successively pass into sections- 'ofthe cam groove 22, which lie in a plane lower than a preceding section, until the fingers 11. forming the variable outlets for the respective tubes 10, are successively separatedto permit stalks of various sizes to pass therefrom and into their proper v receiving means. After the fingers 11 have beenseparated their full distance to permit the largest size stalk to pass from the-guide tubes. the ends of the levers 19 pass into the highest section of the cam groove 22 which is adjacent the feed station A, which causes the lower ends of the fingers to be drawn together, as in Figs. 3 and A5, in which position the guides are adapted to receive fresh stalks for separation. In myapparatus it will be AapparentV that the variable outlets for the gulde tubes are opened to provide an opening a trifle larger as the respective guides are moved from over one receiving means to another, thereby permitting the various sized stalks to pass from their respective guide tubes when the same are in coperative relation with certain receivingl It is to be understood that the supporting table is capable ofl carrying aplurality of rows of guide tubes, and it 1s also to be understood that a plurality of feed stations may be provided.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. In an apparatus for the described pur` -pose comprising a vertically disposed tubular.v iding means for receiving the material to e graded, a tapered variable outlet downwardly extended from said guiding means and formed of coperating sections,y and means co-acting 'with said variable out-- let for controlling the opening thereof upon the movement of said guiding means.

2. An apparatus for the described vpur-` pose, comprising a plurality of verticallyy disposed tubular open ended guiding means, each adapted for receiving a single article to be Igraded, a tapered variable outlet downwardly extended from each of said guiding means and formed of a plurality of coperating segments, means for receiving the graded articles as the same pass from said guiding means, and means coacting With said variable outlet for controlling the opening thereof 'as said guiding means successively coperate with saidgraded article receiving means.

3. An apparatus for the described purpose, comprising a plurality of vertically disposed open ended tubular guiding means and a plurality of receiving means, one movable relative t'o the other, ysaid guiding means each adapted for receiving a singlearticle to be graded, and each receiving means adapted for receiving the graded articles, a

tapered variable outlet downwardly extended from each of said guiding means andformed of a plurality of coperating segments, and means coacting with said vari- .a'ble outlets for controlling lthe opening thereof on the movement of said guiding and receiving means relative to each other.

4. An apparatus for the described purpose, comprising a verticallyv disposed open ended tubular guide member for receiving the articles to be graded, a tapered variable controlledoutlet downwardly extended from the guide 4and formed of a plurality of segments, devices associated with said outlet and carried by said tubular guide for actu- `ating said controlled outlet, and means associated with said devices to control the movements thereof to vary the outlet of the guide proportionately to the size of the artii cle to be discharged therefrom.

5. In an apparatus for the described purpose, comprising a vertically disposed open ended tubular guide for receiving the articles to be graded and provided at its lower end with a tapered variable outletl formed of cooperating segments, and means for operating said segments to varythe outlet of the guide proportionately to the size of the article to be discharged therefrom.

6. In an apparatus for the described purpose, .comprising a vertically disposed open ended tubular guide for receiving the ar ticles to be graded and providedat its lower end with a tapered `variable outlet formed of coperating segments, means for operating said segments to vary the outlet of the guide proportionately to the size of the ar-.

ticle to be discharged therefrom, devices for receiving the graded article, and mechanism for moving said receiving devices and said guide relative to each other.

7. In an apparatus for the described purpose, comprising a vertically disposed open ended tubular guide for receiving the article to be graded and provided with a variable outlet, means for cutting articles to be graded to a uniform length while positioned in said guide, and means for varying the pose, comprlsing a vertically disposed open f ended tubular guide for receiving the articles to be graded, a variable controlled outlet for the guide, devices for actuating said controlled outlet, means associated with said devices for controlling the movement thereof to vary the outlet of the guide proportion'ately to the size of the article to be discharged therefrom, and means for cutting the articles to be graded to a uniform length while positioned in said guide.

v9. ,An apparatus for the described purpose, comprising a vertically disposed open ended tubular guide adapted for receiving a single article to be graded and formed at its lower end with a tapered variable dis'- charge opening formedpffa plurality of cooperating segments, devices for actuating said segments, and means associated With said actuating devices for controlling the movements thereof to vary the outletof the guide proportionately to the size of the article to be discharged therefrom.

10. An apparatus for the Adescribed purpose, comprising a vertically disposed open ended tubular guide adapted for receiving a single article to be graded and formed at its lower end With a variable controlled outlet, devices for actuating said'variable controlled outlet, means associated with said devices for controlling the movement thereof to vary the outlet of the guide proportionately to the size of the article to be discharged therefrom, devices for receiving the graded article, mechanism for moving said receiving devices and guide relative to each other, and means for cutting the ends of the articles projected from the upper end of said guide.

11. Anv apparatus for the described purpose, comprisingea rotatable support, a plurality of vertically disposed open ended tubular guides carried thereby and each adapted to receive a single article to be graded, a variable controlled outlet Vfor the lower end of said guides and formed of a'plurality of coperating segments, a plurality of receiving means below the path of movement of said guides for receiving the graded articles,

and associated instrumentalities for operatl opening, a collar slidable on said guide, link connections between said fingers and said collar, and a lever associated with said collar and operated on the movement of said support for operating the fingers to var)7 the outlet of the guide. y

13. An apparatus for the described purpose, the same comprising` a rotatable support, a plurality of vertically7 disposed open ended tubular guides carried thereby and each adapted to receive a single article to be graded, a plurality of fingers pivotally mounted at the lower end of each of said guides and forming a vari-able discharge opening, a collar slidable on each of said guides, link connections between the collar and fingers of the respective guides, aplurality of independent receiving means below the path of movement of said guides, cutting' means above said support for severing;` the ends of the articles to be graded projected .above the upper ends of said guides, a pivoted lever associated with each of said rings, and a stationary cam for operating said levers on the movement of said table for operating the fingers to vary the outlet of the guides as the same are moved into cooperative relation above eac-h of thereceiving means.

In testimony whereof I have signedmy name to this specifica-tion in the presence of two subscribing wltnesses.

JOHN M. YOUNG.

Vitnesses HARRY H. TOTTEN, D. B. RICHARDS. 

